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Over 13,085 reviews forAustin Handyman Services from people just like you.

A

"I had gotten

to do some tasks requiring climbing ladders to my high ceilings. The tasks included replacing the smoke detector batteries" ...More and checking my door bell, which was not very loud. I had hoped that there would be a volume control on the door bell. When the

representative checked it out he actually found that the bell was broken and couldn't be repaired. He then offered to go to Home Depot and get a new door bell for me and install it. I am very pleased with his professionalism and work and will certainly consider

in the future.

-Thomas K.

F

"This was one of the worst experiences I have ever had with a company and I have filed a Better Business Bureau complaint this afternoon. I purchased an Angie's" ...More list deal for $129 for up to 3 Hours of Kitchen or Bathroom Caulking and Grout Restoration. When I scheduled the appointment with the office manager, I explained that we needed caulking around the bathtub and needed the grout in our shower restored. When the contractor shows up, he told my husband "I don't do grout" and that if he did restore the grout "it would shrink and then we would think he screwed up." So instead of restoring the grout, he put a sealant over the areas where the grout had fallen apart. Afterward, I called

to complain and demand that someone do the work, and when I spoke to the office manager, she said that I did not ask for grout restoration. That was an absolute lie. Why would I spend $129 for sealant and for 20 minutes of work? I could have done that work myself, which is what I explained to the office manager. The office manager then claimed that my husband told the contractor that we did not want the grout restored. That was an absolute lie as well. Again, why would we pay $129 just to have sealant put on? The office manager then said that the deal was for caulking OR grout restoration and that it was not for both. That was also an absolute lie as it clearly states in the Angie's deal "$129 for up to 3 Hours of Kitchen or Bathroom Caulking AND Grout Restoration." In addition, the contractor was told by the office manager I had a gray bathtub so he brought gray caulking with him, but my bathtub is white and the tiles are a dark gray (which I explained to the office manager) so he used a clear caulking instead, not a white caulking, which does not cover the rusty color around the

of the bathtub. The office manager then told me I would have to take a picture of the shower and she would decide if someone would come back out, which is absurd and deeply upsetting as the work was never performed! It is apparent

does not have a problem with scamming people and it's so unethical it makes me physically ill. The entire phone conversation with the office manager was disturbing to me as well. She never once took responsibility for incorrectly telling the contractor we had a gray bathtub, she blatantly lied about the terms of the Angie's list deal and she lied by saying that we never wanted grout restoration done; she was also insisting she end the call because I was upset (I was upset because I knew I had been scammed, but I never yelled). My husband and I are working class people with a limited income who are trying to maintain a home and $129 is a lot of money for us; it's not a lot of money for some, but it is for us. No one deserves to be duped and treated the way I was by

Angie's Answers

OK - terminology issue here. The "shower pan" is a collection liner than underlies the shower floor itself, and is designed (if built and plumbed right) to trap any leakage from the shower floor and route it to the same floor drain pipe. Example image here, copper in this case -

http://indigochreblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/img_0835.jpg

It sounds like your are saying the shower floor or base unit failed - likely a fiberglass or plastic shower, which commonly fail due to incomplete support under them. This can be repaired if fiberglass, but is not usually done unless just microcracking, as it is hard to find an expert - usually you have to have a car body fiberglass specialist or a surfboard repair expert do it, and the color will not match perfectly unless you get a new gelcoat over the entire base unit. Cost about $300-500, ASSUMING the material can be repaired - true fiberglass can, thermoplastic can sometimes be welded but anyone's guess how long it will last without cracking again, plastics like PVC can rarely be fixed so they will hold someone standing on them. Any sort of repair is likely to crack again, because you have done nothing to remove the cause of the cracking which is standing on a base that is not fully supported over its full extent. Some cheepo or desperate plumbers try injecting non-pressuring type expanding foam underneath to improve the support - this does a great job of supporting it but unfortunately supports mold, so starts stinking in short order as a rule.

The normal fix is to remove and replace it, because once it is out there is no sense in putting a damaged one back in for the small increment in cost. Removing it means taking the shower wall liners or the bottom row or two of tile out so you can get the new base unit into place (because they overlap it), then replacing them. So, the $3000 range indicated is indicative of this type of job, which typically runs from a very low of around $1500-2000 for an identical base unit, to more typically $3-5,000 depending on whether a shower enclosure or tile walls. Of course,when the new one is put in, it is CRITICAL that it be fully supported - this means rubbing plumbers rouge or similar marking substance on the bottom, test fitting it, and then lifting it out and checking that all the stiffener ribs and support pads made contact with the pan, and making adjusments as necessary until it has full contact, then standing in it and rocking back and forth to check for any points not making full contat and fixing them.

The $10,000 plus numbers you got must have been for entire shower replacement down to the joists and studs, and the $30,000 range number would be typical for a full bathroom remodel with new shower or shower/tub and doors and surround, wall finishes, vanity, sink, toilet, and flooring and door.

I am not sure a general handyman is the right person for the skylight. We fix quite a few skylights that were installed by handymen and that could be the problem at its origination. You will want a roofer for that.

As long as you are splitting the trades at that point, might as well get a flooring contractor to look at the floor once you have figured out the skylight repair/replacement equation.

Handyman reviews in Austin

B

Rating

“

It went well. They cut a hole in the living room ceiling to check on a leak and repaired it. I painted over it.”

- Paul B.

B

Rating

“

I bought 2 hours of service for ~$99. I communicated the job as being kitchen tile replacement, and we scheduled a handyman to come out to my house at 2pm on a Wednesday. At 2:10, he wasn't there yet. I called him and he said his previous job was running long and wouldn't be at my house until 3:15pm. I understand that happens, but as ...More soon as he realized that he would be late, he should have called me. Then, he shows up at 3:15pm and tells me he has no ceramic tile replacement experience, called his office to tell them, and leaves. Frustrating.
But A+ Energy

. recovered nicely. I called on Thiursday, and they scheduled an experienced tile repairman for Friday, and said the total would be a little higher at $150. I agreed. Out came

, on time on Friday morning. He did an excellent job, and he was extremely nice. The tile looks great. Thank you

!
Overall, the job got done at the right price (A+ rating) It just took a while to get there (C rating). Overall averages out to a B rating. ”

- Cory L.

A

Rating

“

answered the phone immediately and let me know that he is ill and unable to work right now. He referred me to a recommended

to use in the meantime. He was courteous and helpful and I will keep him in mind for the future.”

- Mitch G.

A

Rating

“

This is my second job with this crew and once again they were great. This time Mother Nature delayed us multiple times over several months and they never lost sight of my project.

was out promptly to estimate the project and he responded immediately to come look at a concerning area while the project was underway.

...More was our foreman again ( he foremanned our first job as well) and he went above and beyond the scope of the project to make sure it was done correctly, even in the face of delays, weird deck stain, very dry old deck, and scheduling nightmares. As with any work being done, you have to stay in communication as the work is being done, to make sure it is what you want. But when I had specifics during the project with how the stain was going down, they listened and adjusted. I will use them again when I redo 2 more bathrooms, because I feel like they really work with me with my best interest at heart.”

- Stephanie B.

A

Rating

“

got us scheduled and was responsive throughout the process whenever we had questions.

did the tile work and did a great job. He truly worked his behind off, as well. Except for one misunderstanding with the plumber (he had us on his calendar for the wrong day), everyone was punctual, responsive and polite. ...More I initially thought they were a bit pricey, but after comparing their bid to a few other companies, turns out they were comparable and competitive.”

- Lisa Z.

A

Rating

“

Very pleasant to work with, called when on the way to give an estimated time of arrival, I had a laundry list of things I needed done, I asked him to do the electrical work first and if he could get to anything else we would do that after the electrical because I am deathly afraid of electricity. I had no idea what was involved with changing out sockets ...More and light switches. He was very quick and managed to get all the electrical work listed above within the 4 hours.”

- Lisa S.

C

Rating

“

We had a few odd jobs around our new home and decided to hire a

.

, as do other companies, ask for a prioritized list, as they can't guarantee how long any specific task will take. This is fair- we provided a list of 4 items- 2 of which HAD to be completed, and 2 of which would be nice to have but ...More weren't urgent. We agreed to a four hour block of time for $389- understanding we could go over/would have to pay an additional $X hour if he was mid-task.

arrived on time and got to work on our #1 item- installing a motor for a garage door whose stall had just been used by the previous owner for storage. We had purchased the unit from

and had it- and a ladder- ready for him. I didn't stick around for the actual installation, but it took a total of 5 hours. We were disappointed it took so long - but we had been fairly warned before hand and understood our agreement so we sucked it up. We weren't willing to keep paying so we sent him home- the garage door motor worked so we were generally happy.
A few weeks later, our caretaker (we were out of town) had some trouble with the door and got on a ladder to investigate. He discovered the chain had been improperly installed, and in multiple places only one bolt had been used when there was room and holes for 4. The chain was rubbing in such a way it would have soon caused permanent damage. Moreover, in several places the washers were not tightened on the bolts- there were several CMs between the washer and the hole, so things were really loose. It appears that without our caretakers intervention, we would likely be looking at a busted motor within just a few more weeks, one that could have potentially fallen on my car, doing additional damage.
Long story short- this company was easy to schedule, nice enough, and seems fairly priced. But for the quality of service we received, I would have been better off attempting the work myself - at least then I wouldn't be out $444 for a lousy result.
For what it's worth, I did just pass along my experience to the provider, and they were sympathetic.”

- ANNE B.

F

Rating

“

BUYER BEWARE
Mr.

did not perform the work as specified. He began the demo of our property, which took more than a week and was not completed, and did not dispose of any trash. He failed to check his work which caused a 2-day plumbing leak from our upstairs bathroom, through the ceiling, and onto the floor of our living ...More room. He agreed to repair the damages, but did not. He picked up our new vanities and sinks, and instead of delivering them to the job site, took them and kept them. He would not provide an estimate cost for materials, and demanded payment before revising our contract to account for the changes in the specified services. He sent a fabricated bill for materials he wanted to collect money for. He and his office manager has not returned any calls or responded to any correspondence.”